President Biden has nominated Rear Adm. (Ret.) Ann Phillips to be the next Maritime Administrator.
A White House statement said Phillips is a leader in the field of coastal resilience and climate impact on national security at the regional, national and international level.
“In her current appointment as the first special assistant to the governor of Virginia for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, she is building a collaborative, whole of government and community approach to address the impact of coastal flooding across the Commonwealth, including the development of Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan. In particular, she coordinates across federal, state, local and other partners to create equitable strategies to address rising waters and climate impact to federal, maritime, and other critical coastal infrastructure assets in Virginia.”
Prior to her current appointment, Phillips served nearly 31 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a rear admiral. Her final flag command was as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, including 14 ships and 10 subordinate commands — all the Amphibious Expeditionary Forces on the U.S. East Coast.
"The American Maritime Partnership congratulates Adm. Phillips on her nomination to lead the Maritime Administration, which plays a critical role in supporting our defense readiness, the domestic maritime fleet and hard-working American mariners throughout the world,” Mike Roberts, president, American Maritime Partnership, said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to a swift Senate confirmation process, so we can begin working with Admiral Phillips to strengthen American maritime in support of our homeland and national security."
